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“Father!” Cat snarls, appearing out of thin air. Truth is, I’m so stunned by his presence, I don’t have any idea how long she’s been in the room.
Cat slips her hand into mine and squeezes. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers.
At her touch, her proximity, my heart rate slows and my strength returns.
“You are not marrying him.” The low growl rumbles through the room.
Cat doesn’t even give him a moment’s attention. The strongest woman I’ve ever met tugs at my hand and keeps her eyes locked on me. “I need help zipping up my dress. Let’s go.”
It’s only then that I realize she’s standing in a white robe. Still stunned, I nod. And with that, she pulls me away from the man who nearly unraveled my entire life.
“You aren’t merging the companies, and you sure as hell aren’t going to be a Hanson.”
Cat turns around and smiles at her father. “Watch me.”
* * *
“You okay?”she asks when we’re shut in her room.
“I wanted today to be perfect for you,” I rasp. Those are the only words I can come up with after that encounter.
“Jay.” Cat scans my face. Her eyes are full of compassion and love. They speak of her loyalty and her heart. This woman has willingly taken on her family over and over again for me. Always choosing me.
No one has ever chosen me.
Until her.
I grasp the back of her neck and pull her close to me. “I’m fucking perfect because I have you,” I whisper against her lips. “Thank you, Kitten. I love you.”
Her soft breath tickles my lips as we study one another. “Baby, you always have me. We don’t have to talk about it.” Her eyes dance back and forth between mine. “But know that you don’t have to be perfect for me, right? You’re allowed to fall apart. Especially over something like that.” She throws her arm out, pointing at her closed door.
Tipping my forehead to hers, I close my eyes and hold myself in this moment. I memorize exactly how it feels to have my wife in my arms this way. Our lips barely touching, our breaths mingling, our heartbeats in sync. Every moment I have with her is better than the last. And I intend to make this a night she won’t forget.
* * *
As requested,our guests all arrive wearing white. The only pops of color come from the greenery and cascading wisteria around the outdoor tent. The silk fabric is so thin the stars are visible above and the twinkling lights and chandeliers give the entire space an ethereal feel.
The designer had strict instructions to create a space where the stars above would be the main focus, and she knocked it out of the park. Cat is a vision in her long white dress. The nude-colored layer beneath it is pure torture for me, making it appear like she’s walking around in just lace.
No one can keep their eyes off her, least of all me. I’m smiling like a damn fool.
“You put on one hell of a show,” Cash mutters under his breath beside me.
I quirk a brow in his direction. “Pardon?”
“You’ve got everyone fooled, but not me. I know you really want Grace. Just let my sister go.”
Despite my determination to work out a truce with Cash, I laugh. He’s delusional. As if on cue, Cat walks toward us before we can exchange any more barbs, likely knowing her brother is being an ass. It’s par for the course lately. Unbothered by his insanity, I hold my hand out to Cat and pull her against my chest. When she tips her chin up to smile at me, I kiss her hard. I’ll probably be covered in her red lipstick, and tonight, I’ll gladly accept the evidence of her love for me.
When I pull back, she’s breathless, but she doesn’t pull away. She simply uses a finger to brush the hair off my forehead, then swipes at my lips.
“The only woman I want is standing right in front of me, Cash. Why don’t you pay less attention to our love life and more attention to your company? Forester emailed me today.”
He glares at me as I take my wife’s hand and walk away.
* * *
With over a hundredguests in attendance, I’m kept busy for the majority of the night. I try not to let Cat stray too much and keep my focus on her and Chloe. While Cash may not be on board with the wedding, Carter is a lot less hostile. He took Cat for a spin around the dance floor, and he even asked Chloe for a dance. Cat and I laughed at Hayden and Garreth as they argued over which of them was next. Chloe made us all crack up when she asked what each of them would give her if she chose one over the other. Hayden offered to pay for college, but my girl was more interested in the front-row seats to the next Taylor Swift concert Garreth offered up.
